By Justin Rebello
About a month ago, The Boston Globe, where I co-op, ran an article regarding documents that claimed President George W. Bush never fulfilled his military obligation in the Air National Guard. These are the same documents that currently have Dan Rather scrolling through job listings on Craig’s List.
Anyway, the article ignited a firestorm as Bush supporters everywhere pried themselves away from the O’Reilly Factor long enough to call The Globe and bitch. One woman called and we had this exchange:
Crazy Lady: I want you to run a retraction on your Bush article.
Me: How come?
Crazy Lady: Because it’s a lie.
Me: Oh, do you have evidence to prove our writer’s wrong?
Crazy Lady: No, I do not.
Me: Then how can you say it’s a lie?
Crazy Lady: Well, I mean, come on.
“Well, I mean, come on.”
That was her proof. Not only that, it was the basis for her opinion.
Imagine you were on trial for murder. The prosecutor walks into the courtroom and says, “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we are here to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Mr. Rebello did in fact kill 11 Yankee fans in a bloody rampage. Exhibit A: ‘Well, I mean, come on.’ The prosecution rests.”
No court outside of the Bronx, and maybe Texas, would ever convict you, so how can you possibly claim libel against a major newspaper when your only real knowledge of the issue is based on “Well, I mean, come on.”
There’s a problem going on in this country. Sometimes people just have stupid opinions. However, because we live in a nation where we have a right to think as we please, too many people misinterpret that as an allowance to say the most inane thing that comes into their worthless heads.
As George Carlin once said: “Goddamn, there are a lot of stupid people out there. Think of all the stupid people you meet. Then remember that half of people are even stupider.” Some people are just stupid, and not everyone is entitled to an opinion. That’s right, I said it.
Take abortion. Men shouldn’t have an opinion on abortion. Can men get pregnant? Not that I know of. So why are fat, old, white men from Tennessee telling women from California they can’t get an abortion? “Because the Bible says so.” Oh. I’m glad that’s settled.
Now please don’t interpret this as me saying my opinion is above anyone else’s. I’m the same person who thinks Yankees owner George Steinbrenner should be indicted on monopoly charges. (It makes sense if you think about it.)
All I’m saying is that just because you’re allowed to formulate an opinion doesn’t mean you should shove it in people’s faces. Religious conservatives, protesters and idiot columnists (I know, I know) have a tendency to do this, without anything concrete on which to base their beliefs.
I’m willing to bet half of Americans who are against the war are so because of Michael Moore and half of the people in favor of the war are so because they get too much Fox News Channel. Too many people spout the day’s popular catch phrases like “No Blood for Oil” and “Support the Troops” to make themselves appear learned, when in fact they are just trying to spruce up their AIM profiles and hope people find them intelligent and worldly.
Please. With politics, it’s the partisan nature of things that compels people to jump on bandwagons, even if their knowledge of the subject is shady at best.
Republicans feel compelled to vote for Bush even if there are about 10 others (like John “The Man” McCain) who are better suited for the job, and are quick to dismiss Sen. John F. Kerry. Democrats do this, too.
I’m willing to bet that if most Democrats are honest, they aren’t feeling terribly confident in Kerry as president. But he’s not Bush, and he’s not Republican, so everyone feels they should vote for him.
Maybe it’s just the need to argue. Americans love arguments. We’re a nation that made garbage like Jerry Springer and Judge Judy hit TV shows. My buddy Mike is infamous for starting wild arguments attacking feminism with girls just for their reactions. He does this to guys, too. Example: Mike’s a hard-core Patriots fan, but has tried on a number of occasions to convince me Tom Brady is overrated, just to get a rise out of me.
But what differentiates Mike from the legions that call The Globe with their pithy ramblings is that he backs up his claims with information, so you never get the feeling you’re talking to a brick wall.
That’s the difference. Knowing what you’re talking about. If you’re anti-war, tell me about the American soldiers dying every day. If you’re pro-war, tell me of the atrocities committed in Iraq for the past decade.
Think about the topic, and consider what good your opinion does before you say anything. And if that’s not enough to convince you, well, I mean, come on.
— Justin Rebello can be reached at [email protected].
